RIDDOR Changes Consultation Document
Now Available
As originally reported in December by Unionsafety, the publication of consultation documents on proposed changes to the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR) was agreed by the HSE at its board meeting December 15th.
Now 1 week later than promised, the full 31 page consultation document has been published this week on the HSE website.
With a deadline date of 9th May, Derek Maylor, NW BTU H&S Co-ord Chairperson urges all those involved or concerned with health and safety to get involved with the consultation exercise via the HSE website from where both the document and the questionnaire can be download.
Under current rules when an employee is absent from work for more than three days following an incident or injury at work, employers are required to report the incident to the relevant enforcing authority - either HSE or the local council.
The proposed amendment increases this 'over three day' period to over seven consecutive days. This change would align the incident reporting threshold with that for obtaining a 'fit note' from a GP for sickness absence, and would ensure that someone who has suffered a reportable injury has had a professional medical assessment.
HSE Chair Judith Hackitt said in a December press release;
"The Board discussed the proposals at length, and asked for some additional work to be done prior to the launch of the consultation in January.
Whilst there will be some obvious advantages in reducing the reporting requirements on business, there will be other factors which need to be taken into account. We hope that interested parties will use the consultation exercise to provide the range of perspectives we need to consider in order for us to advise the Government appropriately."
Hazards Campaign coordinator Hilda Palmer said equating improvements with deregulation was one of a number of 'mindbogglingly stupid' statements in the paper. 'HSE's role is not to blindly follow government deregulatory dictates to remove non-existent burdens on business,' she said. 'HSE's role should be to defend safety against damaging deregulatory proposals and to represent the interests of those who would face increased risks at work, not to try and find ways to circumvent basic legal protections required Europe-wide.'
European laws stipulate all injuries requiring more than three days off work should be reported.
The deadline for responses will be 9th May 2011.
Source: HSE
